


Hooked on a Feeling

by CloversDreams



Category: Fate/Grand Order, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: Avoidance of feelings, Denial of Feelings, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Lucid Dreaming, M/M, Synesthesia, but not nearly far enough, running very far from the feelings, these two give me emotions T_T.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 20:29:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29922435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloversDreams/pseuds/CloversDreams
Summary: “Are you dreaming about me again, Roman?” Merlin asked, his voice like warm honey. He chuckled softly then hummed, “Even if I’m not in your bed I’m still on your mind, huh?”Romani clenched his hands into fists and waved the right one in the air as he replied, “Shut up. Who gave you the right to enter my dreams?”“You did.”Romani’s expression was as flat as his tone when he replied, “You were probably called here so I could punch you in the face without leaving a bruise on your physical body.”“So cold. After I came when you called, too,” Merlin tsked. He stepped closer to the redhead until they were nose to nose then asked, “Is that really what you want? Wouldn’t it be much nicer to have a lovely picnic together instead?”Romani watched the mage wave his staff then the whole scene changed. Suddenly they were standing in a field of pink flowers that continued on as far as the eyes could see. There was a blanket laid out nearby that had a little wicker basket atop it. The whole thing was like a scene right out of a cheesy movie.
Relationships: Romani Archaman/Merlin | Caster
Comments: 6
Kudos: 11





	Hooked on a Feeling

“Are you dreaming about me again, Roman?” Merlin asked, his voice like warm honey. He chuckled softly then hummed, “Even if I’m not in your bed I’m still on your mind, huh?”

Romani looked around in an attempt to see where the voice was coming from, but there was only darkness. He clenched his hands into fists and waved the right one in the air as he replied, “Shut up. Who gave you the right to enter my dreams?”

“You did.”

Romani stiffened. The voice was much closer than it had been before. The little hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and he swore he could feel hot breath against his skin.

“Or your subconscious, rather,” Merlin continued, his voice no longer so close.

Romani heard a soft sound that he could only assume was the mage’s staff being tapped on the floor. Then light flooded the area. He squinted as his eyes adjusted. Once they did he was face to face with the smiling plague himself.

Merlin tilted his head and hummed, “I was called here. Admit it, you missed me!”

Romani’s expression was as flat as his tone when he replied, “You were probably called here so I could punch you in the face without leaving a bruise on your physical body.”

“So cold. After I came when you called, too,” Merlin tsked. He stepped closer to the redhead until they were nose to nose then asked, “Is that really what you want? Wouldn’t it be much nicer to have a lovely picnic together instead?”

Romani watched the mage wave his staff then the whole scene changed. Suddenly they were standing in a field of pink flowers that continued on as far as the eyes could see. There was a blanket laid out nearby that had a little wicker basket atop it. The whole thing was like a scene right out of a cheesy movie.

Merlin let out a delighted little ‘ah’ then sat on the blanket. He set his staff aside then smiled from ear to ear as he patted the free spot next to himself.

Romani let out a defeated sigh then sat down on the blanket as well. He didn’t say a word as he watched the cheery mage start to unpack the basket and act surprised by every little thing he pulled out. As if he wasn’t the one to make them materialize in the first place.

Eventually they had quite a spread set up before them. Romani couldn’t fathom how two people were even supposed to eat so much food. Though that didn’t seem to be a bother to the ridiculous mage. He eyed Merlin as he hummed to himself and grabbed various things to put onto his plate.

That was all well and good but there was only one thing Romani wanted. He grabbed the nearby wine bottle and yanked out the cork. There was no time for Merlin to get a word in before he tilted his head back and started to chug the contents. Romani had no idea if alcohol was even effective in a dream but that sure wouldn’t stop him from finding out.

“You sure are enthusiastic tonight,” Merlin mused. The little smile upon his face could practically be heard in his tone.

“Can’t let a nightmare get the best of me,” Romani muttered in response. He set down the half-empty wine bottle and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

Merlin shut his eyes, shrugged, and sighed, “Here I thought I was a wondrous vision in your eyes.”

“That can’t possibly be true.” Romani frowned. “You know that you’re the biggest thorn in my side. I must tell you that at least twice a day. Three times…?”

“You silly humans and your strange ways of showing affection are always keeping me on my toes,” Merlin chuckled.

Romani’s gaze shifted away from the mage and he mumbled, “I assure you that’s not what this is. If I could kick your butt back to Avalon and have you stay put, I would do it in a heartbeat.”

Merlin clicked his tongue and shook his head. “Ah, but then you’d miss me.”

“I wouldn’t.” Romani replied softly. There was silence after that. It was long enough that he thought Merlin might’ve left. That would be the best-case scenario. Then he could get on with his dream and wake up refreshed for once. He yelped in surprise when he felt a puff of air blown directly into his ear. Romani turned and glared at Merlin as he rubbed his ear to try and get the unwanted feeling out.

Merlin sat back on his knees and watched him frown for a moment. He finally seemed to gather his thoughts and said, “You know, Roman, you act like this thing between us hasn’t been mutual from the start, like it’s somehow all my fault, but that’s just not the case.” He brought a chocolate covered strawberry to his lips, paused, then added, “I’ll remind you who it was that initiated that very first kiss.”

Romani jolted in surprise. Of all things to bring up. This guy was the worst. He turned towards Merlin and shrieked, “I was stressed and had too many drinks at that holiday party and for a second you reminded me of–!” He stopped abruptly and pursed his lips together.

“Oh?” Merlin hummed. There was a teasing grin upon his face as he asked, “Someone I should know about? Perhaps even be jealous of?”

Romani hated that his cheeks started to burn. Why the heck did he have to blush like this in his own dream? Shouldn’t he have more control over things? Either way, he couldn’t answer those questions. The last thing he needed was Merlin mocking him for liking an internet idol. Especially since that was what lead to the two of them getting together, which simply never stopped after the first time. He shook his head and his gaze never left the ground as he mumbled, “No, forget it.”

“You’re an everchanging mystery that keeps me on my toes, Roman,” Merlin chuckled, “and that’s why I like you so much.”

Sometimes it was the most well-intended statement that stung more than anything else. Romani’s eyes fell shut and he let out a defeated sigh. He’d been at war with himself for a while now over the way his feelings towards this pain in the ass had been growing and changing into something he really didn’t want them to. Because there was no way he could accept them.

Romani knew that emotions like that were pointless. Merlin liked him as much as he liked the rest of the human race, there was nothing special about the feeling. In the end he wasn’t anything but a way for the mage to alleviate some boredom. If Romani felt differently that was his own stupidity at work. Moments like this were nothing but a reminder of what he already knew to be true.

“Why’d you get so quiet, hmm?” Merlin asked. He leaned into the redhead’s personal space and then added, “Is there something you want to talk about?”

“No.” It wasn’t a lie. Romani absolutely didn’t want to talk about this. Or anything else for that matter.

“Then should we make love to pass the time?” Merlin purred.

Romani stiffened then grabbed the first thing he could reach and tossed it at the mage. “What are you saying out of nowhere! Sheesh!”

Merlin laughed and held up his hand to block the assault. A muffin bounced off his arm then tumbled onto the blanket. There was a mischievous gleam in his purple eyes as he hummed, “You’d be surprised just how different that kind of thing is in your dreams.” His smile widened when Romani glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. “Anything goes, you know! You could discover new kinks that your waking self never would’ve fathomed otherwise.” His eyes glowed brightly for a split second. “I’d be more than happy to help you figure that out.”

“That’s it!” Romani exclaimed. He slapped his own face with both hands at the same time then pinched his cheeks. “Get out of my head! Shoo! Let me sleep in peace for once, you damn menace!”

Merlin pouted and whined, “But Romannn…”

Romani squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. “No buts! _Go_!”

Romani gasped and opened his eyes. He blinked a few times as his surroundings came into focus. The same boring walls in need of some décor, the same old lamp, that nightstand that could really use more than just an alarm clock on it. Yeah, he was awake and in his bedroom. Luckily, there was no sign of a certain mage.

He rolled onto his back and draped his left arm over his eyes. That guy was the absolute worst. Just because they were sleeping together these days he acted like he could say and do whatever he wanted. That jerk. Romani didn’t agree at all.

He rolled onto his other side then adjusted his blankets to get more comfortable. Nothing left to do now but try and rest again. Romani let his eyes fall shut once more and hoped that this time he would be shown mercy and it’d be a dreamless sleep.

Romani was exhausted. He didn’t sleep a wink last night. There was no way he could with his mind racing all night long. Of course that was thanks to Merlin. When was the last time he had a problem that didn’t originate with that mage? He sighed to himself and poured coffee into his mug. Thank goodness that was the one thing Chaldea had no shortage of. He wasn’t sure how he’d survive without the caffeine.

He supposed if there was one good thing that came from overthinking the situation last night it was that Romani finally reached a conclusion about it. If he was to get a handle on the unwanted emotions brewing within himself, he needed to make some big changes to the way he lived his life. First and foremost, that meant that he had to stay as far away from Merlin as possible.

Granted, that seemed almost impossible considering that the mage seemed to be everywhere he looked. But Romani knew it was the only way he could sever the emotional bond before it reached the point of no return. Even now his chest ached at the idea of not seeing the guy anymore. That was just further proof that it had to be done. It’d be rough for a while but eventually they’d be able to laugh about it. 

“Roman! Join us!”

Romani stiffened at the sound of the familiar voice. He blinked then looked around himself. The hallway? When had he gotten here? His body must’ve been on autopilot after he got his coffee. He’d been so lost in thought that he didn’t even realize he was walking somewhere. Of _course_ it had to be right by where Merlin was entertaining a group of servants.

The mage smiled widely and declared, “I was just telling the incredible tale of how I saved the day during the battle of–”

No. There had to be a way out of this mess. Romani looked around then his eyes landed upon another familiar face. His personal savior right now. He neither looked at nor acknowledged that Merlin had spoken.

“Ah, Da Vinci!” Romani hurried over to her and started talking about the never-ending amount of paperwork on his desk. She chuckled then agreed. After that she said she had some free time if he needed assistance. He thanked her and the two of them walked away while he ignored the fact that he could feel a gaze upon him until he finally rounded the corner and was out of sight.

He wasn’t sure whether it was fortunate or unfortunate that he hadn’t been wrong about the paperwork thing. There was enough piled up to keep him occupied for three weeks if he didn’t eat or sleep. Yikes. Romani had no choice but to get lost in catching up. He told his assistant to make it known that he wasn’t to be disturbed unless the situation was dire.

The next week and a half were rough to say the least. The stress of his job kept him cooped up in his office more often than not. Mash came to see him a few times, usually to bring him food. She left without much conversation since it was obvious that he was concentrating. Da Vinci also showed up to make sure he hadn’t fallen asleep, which had happened a handful of times. If he looked like he was on his last leg she would drag him to his room kicking and screaming. It was nice to know they cared about his wellbeing.

As far as his avoidance of a certain mage went, well, that happened to be going swell. Merlin was easy enough to avoid when he was wrapped up in gloating or telling stories to other servants. Not to mention he hadn’t showed up uninvited in Romani’s bedroom like he loved to do as of late. And by the time Romani collapsed onto his bed he fell right asleep, too exhausted to dream. Incredible that all he needed do was work himself half to death to achieve his personal goal. Everything was going according to plan. It was great. He didn’t miss the strange form of companionship they’d fallen into at all. Yeah.

Romani collapsed onto his bed and buried his face in his pillow. In an act of betrayal, his mind wandered to Merlin. Romani’s first instinct was to think that it was good that the mage hadn’t been nagging him as of late. Then he found himself wondering if there was a reason for that. Maybe Merlin moved on and found someone else to entertain him. As much as it sucked to be tossed aside like that, it was probably for the best. Maybe now he could move on as well.

As if in response to the thought, a dull ache radiated through Romani’s chest. He gripped at his shirt and clenched his teeth. Dammit. Being with Merlin hurt so much. Being without him did the same. It was his own personal Hell. Maybe he’d been in deeper than he even realized before he finally decided to pull away.

Either way it seemed that Romani was doomed to suffer no matter what. He supposed that was just what it meant to be human. In that regard it was a blessing. Though it was hard to see it as such. What a terrible joke, falling for that guy of all people. Romani was too ashamed to do anything but bury his face in his pillow again. This was the worst. He couldn’t stand it.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’ve been going out of your way to avoid me lately, Roman.”

The sound of the unexpected voice nearly made Romani jump right out of his skin. His undignified yelp had been muffled into his pillow, but it happened all the same. He lifted his head and gawked at the mage that stood next to his bed. Romani blinked as the words he heard finally sank in. He pushed himself to a seated position and averted his gaze as he said, “Most people would take that as a hint to leave the other person alone instead of showing up uninvited in their bedroom.”

“Mm, perhaps, but I do have the right to know what caused the sudden change,” Merlin replied. It was clear that he had no intention of going anywhere until he got answers.

“Do you really need a list of reasons that I’d want to avoid you?” Romani sighed. There was silence after that and he refused to look at the mage. He could feel Merlin’s ever-observant gaze upon him and that was more than enough, he didn’t need to see it.

Romani stood and turned his back to the guy. He picked up the book upon his nightstand and pretended to flip through it. His pulse was racing and they’d barely talked. He really wished they weren’t alone right now. Romani grunted in surprise when Merlin’s face was suddenly right in front of him.

“There’s… something…” Merlin mumbled. He squinted and leaned even closer. “It’s troubling you but I can’t quite see what it is.” His brow knitted together for a moment then his usual smile returned and he shrugged. “It’d be easier if you just told me.”

Romani took a step backwards to put some space between them then shook his head. His voice was barely above a whisper as he replied, “You wouldn’t understand.”

Merlin’s grin widened and he boasted, “I assure you there’s not much that I can’t comprehend other than certain human emotions and we both know those have nothing to do with this!”

Romani shut his eyes. Once again, the words themselves weren’t malicious but they cut through him like a red-hot knife. Searing, sealing the wound upon entry and ensuring that he wouldn’t die. Instead he’d be forced to live with a scar as a reminder of the memory. He couldn’t stand how the guy was accidentally so perceptive. He’d almost prefer to hear the emergency alarm sound rather than be standing here right now.

“Oh.”

Romani turned away from him. This sucked. It really was the worst possible thing that could’ve happened. His plan was to never tell Merlin about his feelings and now that the cat was out of the bag, he didn’t know what he was supposed to do. He frowned to himself and muttered, “It’s not a big deal. Just forget it.”

“Don’t you think that maybe we should, hm, discuss this development?” Merlin asked. He attempted to look the redhead in the eye but was thwarted when he turned away again.

“No, I don’t.” Romani replied through clenched teeth.

“I think that perhaps–”

“Look, I don’t _want_ to feel this way! I just do!” Romani snapped. This was terrible. His chest hurt so much, his hands were shaking, and he couldn’t decide if he was furious or depressed. He clenched them into fists and his brow knitted together. Unfortunately, there was no stopping it now that he started. Here came the worst part whether he liked it or not. Romani bowed his head and said, “Knowing there’s no hope that you’ll ever grow to feel the same is a lot to process so can you _please_ cut me some slack for once? I’m doing the best I can here.”

“Roman, I…” Merlin’s voice trailed off. He made a face as if he was unsure how to continue. Then he shook his head in an attempt to clear it. He motioned with his left hand as he said, “What I feel for you is… well, it’s not as simple as the human concept of love and I’m not sure I could describe it even if I tried.”

“Discord with a side of occasional horniness,” Romani replied flatly. He really wasn’t interested in hearing any of this. The rejection wasn’t necessary. He knew. He got it. Anything more would only make him feel worse.

Merlin moved faster than the naked eye could follow and was suddenly in his personal space. Romani didn’t have a chance to look away this time. The look upon the mage’s face was something akin to hurt as he asked, “Is that really how it seems to you?”

Romani hadn’t ever seen him wear a look like that. It didn’t suit him. He averted his gaze and rubbed the back of his neck then started to walk away as he mumbled, “I don’t have time for this right now, Merlin. I’m exhausted.”

“Roman… Romani, wait.” Merlin grabbed his wrist to get his attention. “Can I try something with you?”

“What?” Romani asked. He had no idea what that was supposed to mean. Meditating? A type of human cuisine? Some new sexual position? One never knew when it came to Merlin.

“There’s a certain spell that’ll–”

“Nope.” Romani shook his head. He’d heard more than enough. He turned to leave.

Merlin’s grip on his wrist tightened. “Roman, please.”

Romani glanced at the mage. The guy was more serious than he’d ever seen before. All the usual humor he tended to have in his expression was nowhere to be found. That was enough to give him pause in itself.

Once it was clear that he’d hear him out, Merlin released his wrist and explained, “This particular spell will allow you to briefly sense what I do, and vice versa. I never tried it before because I thought it was pointless…” Merlin paused to search Romani’s eyes. “However, I think in actuality I might’ve been waiting for this moment.”

Romani’s whole face heated up in an instant. He averted his gaze and mumbled, “What am I supposed to say when you get all serious like this all of a sudden?”

“Simple! You give into my whims!” Merlin chirped.

“Fine… but if it hurts even a _little,_ I’ll never trust you again…” Romani grumbled.

“Oh, Roman, ye of little faith,” Merlin hummed with a wink. “I can make anything pleasurable. You know that.”

“You can also make anything terrible,” Romani muttered.

Merlin tapped his staff on the ground then set it aside. He stepped closer to Romani, put his hands on either side of his face and watched him frown. “Now, now, none of that. You agreed to this yourself. Close your eyes.”

Romani did as he was told without argument for once. He wasn’t even sure what the point of this thing was supposed to be. He’d gotten caught up in the moment and agreed without really thinking about it. That described life with Merlin in a nutshell. 

It was only when Romani heard footsteps walking away from him that he even realized his face was no longer being held. Nothing even happened. Maybe that meant something about the spell hadn’t worked. Not that he was surprised. Merlin was far from perfect, despite how he acted. He’d probably need to tweak something before he tried again. Romani knew that he should say something. Whether encouraging or mocking was still up for debate. That depended on the mage. He opened his eyes and his jaw dropped.

The world around him came alive in an explosion of sounds and colors the likes of which he’d never seen before. Romani looked around in disbelief. He’d never be able to describe them, they had no name in human terms. He was surrounded by sheer beauty unlike anything he’d ever seen. He could seriously cry right now. The new sensations assaulted all of his senses at once and his knees gave out.

“Shh, it’s all right. Just breathe.”

Merlin’s voice soothed him. Wait, not Merlin’s. It was _his_ voice. Romani held up his hands and turned them over slowly. The perfectly manicured nails weren’t his at all. Though he did know them quite well. He looked up from the ground to see himself staring at him with a concerned look in his eyes.

Instantly, Romani was hit with a feeling unlike anything he’d ever felt before. He could smell those new sounds now, hear the new colors. All of these new and incredible sensations seemed to revolve around the man before him. He reached out to try and touch them but they passed through his hand as if it wasn’t even there. Then they seemed to intensify. The sensations swirled with such a ferocity that it threatened to overwhelm his senses with each breath he took. He heard a soft huff then his gaze shifted to meet the one trained upon him.

Those eyes. Romani had seen them a million and one times in the mirror, they were never interesting in the slightest. How did his regular, boring eyes look so brilliant right now? It was as if they contained all the secrets of the universe and if he stared into them long enough he might just learn one or two. They were captivating.

Romani watched those eyes flash purple for a second. He’d recognize that color anywhere. Suddenly he understood. The spell _had_ worked. His consciousness was inside Merlin’s body, which meant–! His eyes widened when Merlin– in _his_ body– bowed his head and clutched at his chest as he let out a soft ‘ahh’.

“Are you all right!” Romani quickly reached out for him but paused. Were they even allowed to touch in this state? What were the rules? Why hadn’t he asked about that beforehand? He inhaled sharply when Merlin looked up at him with tears in his eyes.

Romani forgot his panic in the blink of an eye. He used his impeccably manicured thumb to wipe the tears away before they had a chance to fall. Merlin smiled at him and something akin to a shiver ran down his spine. Truthfully, it felt more like a bolt of lightning with how intense it was. His voice was barely above a whisper as he asked, “Is it weird that I really want to kiss myself right now?”

Merlin chuckled softly, and Romani swore the sound made every fiber of his being tingle. He could hardly stand it. Damn the potential consequences. Romani surged forward to press their lips together. He couldn’t put a name to the feeling that flooded his body, but it was wonderful. A bliss that he could only compare to the way that he felt during the moment when the two of them laid in one another’s arms, too exhausted to do anything but play with each other’s hair while they basked in their post-orgasm highs. He felt warmth pool in his core then spread throughout the rest of his body.

All of that from a simple brush of lips? It was no wonder every other thing Merlin said to him was suggestive in some way. He put his hand upon Merlin’s– er, technically his own– cheek and smiled. Even with this new insight into the mage he was no closer to understanding the enigma that he was. That didn’t bother Romani nearly as much as it used to. Merlin shut his eyes and leaned in for another kiss. Romani was more than glad to mirror his enthusiasm.

When they parted again Romani’s eyes remained shut for a moment. By the time he opened them he already knew that the spell had worn off. He blinked a few times as he looked at Merlin, who was back in his own body now. Romani held up his hand and opened then closed it. Not a shiny nail in sight. Yep. That was his. Everything was back in order. He looked back at the mage to see that his cheeks were pink. Ah, that was rare. And it was really cute.

Romani took a deep breath then exhaled it slowly. His head was still spinning from what just happened. He sat back against his hands and asked, “That was seriously intense. You really experience that every time you look at us humans?”

“Not at all,” Merlin shook his head. A little smile played at the edges of his lips as he said, “Only when I look at you.”

Romani certainly hadn’t been ready for that. His eyes widened and heat rushed to his cheeks. He didn’t really know what he was supposed to say. Not that he had a chance to respond.

Merlin leaned close to him and rested his forehead upon his shoulder. His voice was barely above a whisper as he said, “Thank you.”

“What for?”

“Sharing such a special emotion with me,” Merlin replied. He shut his eyes and added, “I’ve never felt anything like that before.”

“Ah! That’s–!” Super embarrassing to know that Merlin literally just got to feel his love firsthand. But at the same time, Merlin let him see for himself that his feelings weren’t as nonexistent as he’d lead everyone to believe. They were just different. Special. Uniquely his. So it was an even trade and Romani found that he was also grateful to be shown something so personal. He rubbed the mage’s back gently, it was the closest thing to a response that he could muster.

“Though very different in nature, I do think that what we feel towards one another originates from the same place.” Merlin lifted his head but didn’t move out of Romani’s personal space. He took Romani’s hand and put it over his heart then placed his own onto the redhead’s chest. His gaze never left Romani’s as he said, “And in the end that’s really all that matters, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Romani nodded. He tucked iridescent locks behind Merlin’s ear and continued to watch him.

A smile stretched across Merlin’s face and he tilted his head then hummed, “No more avoiding me, then?”

Romani scratched at his cheek and muttered, “I guess not…”

“And I can sleep with you every night from now on?” Merlin asked a bit more excitedly than necessary.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Romani sighed. He wrapped his arms around the mage and muttered into the top of his head, “One step at a time. For both our sakes.”

Merlin returned the embrace with a happy little hum. He nuzzled Romani’s cheek then whined, “Kiss me like you love me again, Romannn.”

“Absolutely not!” Romani instinctively exclaimed. At the same time he released his hold on the mage and Merlin fell onto his lap with a soft grunt. Whoops. Ah, well. It could’ve been worse.

“Mean,” Merlin muttered before he pushed himself upright again. He tackled Romani so they both fell to the floor as he yelled, “Guess I’ll just have to kiss you, then!” Then he wasted no time in planting quick kisses all over his face.

“You’re such a menace,” Romani grumbled between kisses.

“And yet you love me~” Merlin sang.

“You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?” Romani groaned.

“Nope,” Merlin laughed. “I’m literally going to announce it over the intercom.”

“I’ll give you anything you want if you _don’t_ do that,” Romani grumbled.

“Anything?” Merlin asked, his tone laced with intrigue.

Romani averted his gaze and mumbled, “Yeah… within reason…”

“Then I want you to continue to nurture that feeling within yourself so that it thrives and blossoms until it becomes part of your very soul.” Merlin hummed. He traced a circle over Romani’s heart with his pointer finger. “That way if and when you’re ever reincarnated, it’ll still be there. All I’ll have to do is find you and awaken it all over again with my irresistible charms.”

“I don’t, uh, know how to do something like that…” Romani mumbled mostly to himself. He really hoped that the mage hadn’t noticed how his pulse started to race at the mere suggestion.

Merlin bopped him on the nose and grinned. “I’ll teach you.”

Romani was silent for a moment as he thought about it. He finally gave up trying to figure things out and sighed, “I really don’t know if this is the most romantic thing you’ve ever done or the most selfish one.”

“Must they be mutually exclusive?” Merlin chuckled. In lieu of waiting for an answer, he simply bent down and kissed Romani sweetly. He practically purred when the redhead smiled into the kiss then wrapped his arms around him and pulled him closer. He could get used to this enthusiasm. Merlin broke the kiss and rubbed their noses together as he whispered, “That’s more than enough foreplay.”

“For once I completely agree with you,” Romani hummed. He put a gentle hand upon the mage’s cheek, smiled warmly, and said, “Let’s go to bed, Merlin.”

**Author's Note:**

> Lore: merlin cant feel love lol  
> Me: maybe in your narrow human mind he cant. rip to you but my brain is big. In this fic I will
> 
> ...I have no idea how I got here but yeah… im lov them <3
> 
> All I want is for Roman to be happy is that so much to ask!?!? Canon is a lie and his smile brightens my life.
> 
> I hope someone out there actually ships these two and stumbles upon this... And if that someone is you, I genuinely hope you enjoyed it ^_^


End file.
